


Meta Compilation: In Defense of Scott McCall

by whatthefridge



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Archived From Tumblr, Archived From fanfictionfridge Blog, Meta Essay, meta gifset, warning for blood/gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2019-09-15 12:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16932978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatthefridge/pseuds/whatthefridge
Summary: An ongoing compilation of meta essays and gifsets that I've created in defense of Scott's character.





	1. Scott's Willingness to Kill

**Author's Note:**

> I _will_ delete comments that devolve into ad hominem attacks on me or on Scott. If you can't handle my opinions without going off, then you don't deserve my patience.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott's willingness to kill Peter (1x02), Gerard (3x08), Jennifer (3x12), and the Beast of Gévaudan (5x20)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/172417836852/scotts-willingness-to-kill-01x12-03x08)


	2. Scott's Trauma In Lies of Omission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trauma never chooses a right time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parallel between 5x09 and 3x19
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/175757790977/trauma-never-chooses-a-good-time)


	3. Lies of Omission: Stiles was NOT kicked out of the pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Analysis of why Stiles was NOT kicked out of the pack in Lies of Omission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has since been revised from the Tumblr post it originated from.

Stiles doesn’t get kicked out of the pack in Lies of Omission (5x09).

Let's begin with the fact that Scott outright asks why Stiles _had_ to kill Donovan, and Stiles’s reply makes it sound like he was preemptively taking out a threat. **T** **hat’s not self-defense.** Self-defense would be if Donovan was actively trying to kill Stiles or his dad and Stiles had to REACT to stop it. Additionally, **Scott has a different version of the story, one that Stiles is not, in any way, trying to clarify** , not even after Scott literally says he _wants_ to believe him!

Stiles expects Scott to believe him unconditionally, without any explanation, and it's not Scott's fault for reacting poorly to that. 

> **Scott:** So, you had to kill him? 
> 
> **Stiles:** Scott, he was going to kill my dad. 
> 
> **Scott:** But the way that it happened… There’s a point when it’s… It’s not self-defense anymore!
> 
> **Stiles:** What are you even talking about? I didn’t have a choice, Scott! You don't even believe me, do you? 
> 
> **Scott:** I want to. 
> 
> **Stiles, _as he approaches with the wrench_ : **Okay, all right, so... So, believe me then. Scott, say you believe me. Say it. Say you believe me.

Scott flinches back, not because he doesn’t trust Stiles but because last time they had a confrontation at this very same location -- with rain pouring outside -- it was in Letharia Vulpina (3x19), right before the best friend Scott knew all his life turns out to be the nogitsune twisting a sword in his gut. 

> **Void!Stiles:** You really have to learn, Scott. You really have to learn not to trust a fox.

Scott has every right to react with fear and caution. Not because he trusts Theo over Stiles. But because he’s dealing with his own traumas, and he reacts with aversion due to the trauma, not due to misplaced loyalties. (This is highlighted in the series finale when we witness Scott’s greatest fears taking on void!Stiles’s shape.)

Scott has NO issues killing actual bad guys. Scott's only _moral_ objection to Donovan dying is that he doesn’t like the idea of killing the people they’re trying to save. You know, like Stiles when Stiles was possessed by the nogitsune.

And Stiles must understand this on some level because he then asks Scott what he should do.

> **Scott:** We can't kill people! Do you believe that? 
> 
> **Stiles:** Well, what do I do about this? What do you want me to do? Okay, just... Scott, just tell me how to fix this, all right? Please, just tell me, what do you want me to do? 
> 
> **Scott:** Don't worry about Malia or Lydia. We'll find them. Maybe... Maybe you should talk to your dad.

Stiles asks for guidance, and Scott delegates tasks while he tries to process everything. That doesn’t mean Stiles has been banished. It just means Scott needs some distance and he thinks Stiles could be useful elsewhere. That’s not exile.

**Asking for space is not the same as pushing a person out of your life.**

But Stiles _feels_ exiled, and that’s an important distinction. Stiles feels like Scott is rejecting him. Stiles is not kicked out of the pack as much as he feels kicked out.

This moment in Teen Wolf is highly argued, and it really comes down to whose head you’re in during the confrontation. Scott feels threatened (due to past trauma with void!Stiles), and Stiles feel rejected (due to fears that Scott is seeing a monster, hence the “I’m human” emphasis). They both screw up due to high emotional stakes, and that nuance tends to get buried when all people see is Stiles losing his place in the pack.

Regardless of which position you take, in 5x12, Damnatio Memoriae, **Scott make it explicit that he wants Stiles in the pack and Stiles accepts**.

> **Scott:** *draws inner circle to his pack symbol in the dirt* We need help. If Theo's got his own pack now then we need ours. We have to get the others back. 
> 
> **Stiles:** The others? You mean Kira who's currently battling a homicidal fox spirit inside of her, Malia who isn't even speaking to either one of us, Lydia who's stuck in Eichen House, and Liam who almost killed you? 
> 
> **Scott:** Also known as our best friends. 
> 
> **Stiles:** Okay, how? 
> 
> **Scott:** One by one. *looks down at circle*
> 
> **Stiles:** You're not seriously going to make me do it? 
> 
> **Scott:** You're part of the pack, right? 
> 
> **Stiles:** Okay. *draws outer circle to pack symbol*


	4. Scott Learning His lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott acts rashly in 5x08 and then thinks twice about repeating his actions in 5x16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/177313879637/5x08-5x16)


	5. Valuing Life is Not Weakness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quote from _The Incredibles_ , applied to Scott

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The most serious "incorrect quote" I've ever done, and people have mistaken it for actual dialogue so it's very apt
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/172974202972/insp)


	6. Not All Monsters Do Monstrous Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Not all monsters do monstrous things. **Like who?** Like Scott._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/179557595342/not-all-monsters-do-monstrous-things-like-who)


	7. The Whump Factor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parallel whump between Derek and Scott

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/179627658212/derek-and-scott-parallel-whump-requested-by)


	8. Scott McCall is NOT white

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/167883655447/scott-mccall-is-not-white)

Scott McCall, as a character, was originally written to be white. Then Tyler Posey, who is half-Mexican, got cast for the part, and there’s a debate over whether Scott McCall is still meant to be read as white.

So let’s begin with dissecting the name: Scott McCall.

Scott, as a first name, is English in origin. But that’s irrelevant in a day and age when parents can name their child whatever they want. And I don’t think anyone is debating whether [Scott Carlos Gomez](https://biography.jrank.org/pages/3362/Gomez-Scott-1979-Professional-Hockey-Player.html) is white.

McCall, as a surname, refers to Scott’s paternal line, since it's typical for children take on their father’s surname. We should note that "Rafael" is the hispanic spelling of Raphael, although the actor, Matthew del Negro, is Italian.

Scott’s mother, Melissa McCall, has the maiden name Delgado, and, [statistically](https://www.mynamestats.com/Last-Names/D/DE/DELGADO/index.html), there’s a 91% probability of Delgado referring to a _non-white_ hispanic person. Melissa Ponzio, who plays Melissa McCall, is not Mexican herself. She is part Sicilian, part Native American and part French… which still makes her a woman of color (and isn't anywhere as egregious as Malia – played by a white actress – being the child of the Desert Wolf, who’s played by an actual Mexican actress).

Scott McCall’s name is not an automatic signifier that he’s 100% white.

Now let’s look at canon: there is no canon evidence of Scott’s race or ethnicity.

But Posey has [said](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/teen-wolf-star-tyler-posey_n_1625161), “Well, his mom has got a dark complexion, so I think he’s half-Latino. It never comes up in the show, but I’m pretty sure that he is Latino. I mean, look at the guy! He looks Latino, a little bit.”

This is headcanon territory, which plenty of people can choose to disregard. However, the name for Stiles’s Jeep, Roscoe, is also [headcanon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Czkk3ZHZY&feature=youtu.be). If we can readily accept Dylan O’Brien’s headcanon, we can accept Posey’s as well. Furthermore, if we can embrace the idea of Theo Raeken being Native American because [Cody Christian is Native American](http://codychristian.co/about-cody), we can just as easily embrace Scott McCall being half-Mexican.


	9. Heartcanon: Scott is kinky

I used to interpret Scott as vanilla, and then I had to take a step back and ask myself why. All the characters that I’ve interpreted as kinky are also ambiguously moral, and that’s a very toxic way of painting BDSM. It’s this mentality that normalizes and fetishizes dubious consent.

**Let Scott McCall be kinky 2kforever**

Scott is a gentle dom who doesn’t mind bottoming, pass it on!


	10. Toxic Anon Edition: Scott working with Deucalion

**Toxic Anonymous asked:** You say "Scott doesn't want to hurt anyone" // Lmfao dude, Scott plotted/conspired with the likes of Deucalion behind everyone's back just to kill a bunch of unstable chimera kids he literally referred to as "innocent victims"! So either you gets off on trying to twist/erase/ignore and rewrite everything canon in order to make your fave look 'better' or Scott Mccall is a self righteous hypocrite.

* * *

 

Theo was going after Deucalion regardless of Scott’s intervention. Scott allied with Deucalion in order to have *some* control over the clusterfuck, which is a smart strategy. Besides, what was the point of Deucalion letting himself get captured if Scott’s ultimate plan was to kill the chimera pack anyway? Why not kill them directly? It’d save so much time and stress.

In the scene where Deucalion teaches Theo how to steal power, he was teaching him how to use the garuda’s claws specifically, i.e. playing along with being his villainous self from 3A while also feeding him lies about how exactly the claws work. Theo was the one who decided to test it out by killing Josh for refusing to wear the spare Doctor’s mask. Deucalion then shamed Theo for the choice, saying, “You just cost yourself one member of a young and inexperienced pack.”

Just cause Deucalion taught Theo how to “use a gun” doesn’t mean he’s responsible for Theo “shooting the gun,” and by extension, it’s not Scott’s fault that Theo went on a power high from it.

Scott ain’t omniscient, okay? He tries to do the right thing, but the “right” thing isn’t always an absolute-good thing. That doesn’t make him self-righteous.


	11. Picking up the phone for Stiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott immediately picking up the phone for Stiles in 2x05... except it’s Allison on the other line, so let’s forget this ever happened /sarcasm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/166730475922/hey-look-its-scott-immediately-picking-up-the)

> _Allison: "You need to get here_ now _"_


	12. The Tragedy of Scott McCall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/170633760987/the-tragedy-of-scott-mccall)


	13. True Alpha Foreshadowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott uses every ounce of willpower to fight off Peter’s domination in Night School (01x07), and we get the first signs of him being true alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (On an initial watch, you could assume the red eyes are a sign of Peter trying to get into Scott's head or any number of other interpretations. However, that doesn't undo the fact that Scott gaining red eyes due to the force of his will -- i.e. becoming a True Alpha -- has been foreshadowed... because this is how foreshadowing works.)
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/168418906882/scott-uses-every-ounce-of-willpower-to-fight-off)


	14. Scott Is Trying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 01x06: Scott agrees with Stiles that he screwed up, and he has a plan to do better. He decides he needs to work with a knowledgeable person, and the most knowledgeable person at the time happens to be Derek. It also happens that Stiles doesn’t trust Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (In before I get comments about it-- this is _not_ about whether Stiles is right in blaming Scott, rather it's about Scott taking responsibility. Additionally, this is to show that Scott tentatively trusted Derek in s1 while Stiles didn't trust Derek _at all_.)
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/168162960362/01x06-scott-screws-up-and-he-tries-to-do-better)


	15. Derek's final scene is with Scott

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did the Scott/Derek hug happen in 6B? Well, it's because of their relationship build-up all the way into Derek's final scene in s4, smiling and exchanging nods with Scott before leaving off-screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This is mainly to remind people in fandom that Derek's final scene in s4 wasn't with Stiles. That's a fanon splice. And I love fanon splices, but this one, in particular, gets confused for canon by a lot of people.)
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/166537519067/the-final-scene-with-derek-in-s4-is-him-smiling)


	16. Scott and his terrible, no good, very bad night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott doesn't just get bitten, he has the worst night of his human life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little red riding hood
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/181782918792/scott-and-his-terrible-no-good-very-bad-night)


	17. A Critical Analysis of Scott Working with Gerard to Betray Derek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My formal response to the criticism of the s2 finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I originally posted two shorter write-ups about the topic into this compilation, but I decided to delete them in favor of a concise essay with gifs.)
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/182455318507/a-critical-analysis-of-scott-working-with-gerard)

I want to begin by saying that Scott forcing Derek to bite Gerard in the finale was very upsetting to watch. It was intended to be viscerally disturbing, both because Derek is pleading for Scott not to and because Gerard makes it appear like Scott is selfishly sacrificing Derek in order to be with Allison.

That does NOT make Scott the bad guy, and I’m going to try to explain why in three parts:

  1. There's many indications that Scott wanted to clue Derek into the pill scheme but couldn't
  2. Gerard used extortion to make Scott cooperate
  3. And, finally, Derek biting Gerard was the only way to save Derek’s life



\--

## Scott is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Early on in s2 -- **2x04** \-- Scott tries to appeal to Derek for them to start working together.

> **Scott:** Derek? We need to work together on this. Maybe even tell the Argents.  
>  **Derek:** You trust them?  
>  **Scott:** Nobody trusts anyone! That's the problem. While we're here, arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger and faster than any of us, and it's killing people and we still don't even know anything about it.  
>  **Derek, leaving** **:** I know one thing, when I find it? I'm gonna kill it!

It’s not that Scott trusts the Argents, it’s that his priority is stopping the monster that’s killing people -- and the Argents happen to be trained monster hunters. More than anything, Scott wants to work with Derek, but he also realizes no one is trusting anyone, including Derek not trusting Scott.

This is highlighted in  **2x05** , when Scott tries to appeal to Derek a second time.

The scene begins with Scott walking onto the lacrosse field and finding Boyd.

> **Scott:** I want to talk to Derek.  
>  **Boyd:** Talk to me.  
>  **Scott:** I don't want to fight.

After their brief scuffle, Derek appears to explain Lydia failed the test so she must be the kanima. Scott brings up the idea that Lydia could be immune, but no matter what reasoning he uses for Derek to spare Lydia’s life, Derek doesn’t budge.

> **Scott:** You know I'm right.  
>  **Derek:** No!  
>  **Scott:** You cannot do this!  
>  **Derek:** Look, I can't let her live! You should have known that!  
>  **Scott:** I was hoping I would convince you, but, then, I wasn't counting on it.

  


This scene illustrates Scott sincerely trying to get Derek on the same page as him. 

However, Derek not only refuses to cooperate but he acts in bad faith. Derek assumes he’s distracting Scott from stopping Erica and Isaac, who were sent to kill Lydia regardless of circumstance. Fortunately, Scott and Stiles realized Derek might try to pull something and arranged for Lydia be brought to safety while Scott went to speak with Derek directly.

It’s evident that Derek would rather do his own destructive thing than listen to Scott, which is why Scott doesn’t tell Derek about the pills. Derek is emotionally compromised, and there’s a high probability he’d somehow sabotage the plan with a combination of power move and martyr complex.

At the same time, in **2x09** , we have a moment when Scott and Derek are at Derek’s secret lair discussing how to deal with the kanima. Scott gets frustrated with Derek withholding information from him, and it’s almost like Scott _wants_ to confide in Derek about the pill scheme but sees that it’s a dead end.

> **Scott:** What are you not telling me?  
>  **Derek:** Why do you think I'm always keeping something from you?  
>  **Scott:** Because you always are keeping something from me.  
>  **Derek:** Well, maybe I do it to protect you.  
>  **Scott:** Doesn't being part of your pack mean no more secrets?  
>  **Derek:** Go home, Scott.

By Derek’s own logic, Scott has to keep secrets _in order to protect Derek_.

\--

## Gerard uses extortion to get Scott on his side

This should go without saying, but it needs to be said: Gerard not only threatens Scott’s life but also the life of his mother, twice, first in **2x04** and later in **2x11**.

> **Gerard:** Are you listening?  
>  **Scott:** Yes.  
>  **Gerard:** Perfect. Now, you're gonna do me a favor one of these days and you're gonna do it, because if you don't, this knife goes in her (your mother).

> **Gerard:** Come on, Scott, let's be realistic about who's got the upper hand here.  
>  **Scott:** Let her go.  
>  **Gerard:** Can't do that. But let her live? That's up to you.  
>  **Scott:** What do you want?  
>  **Gerard:** I want to talk. You haven't been answering your phone.

Scott is under pressure to do something about Gerard, and Derek isn’t helping. So Scott plays double-agent, up to a point. He never actually reveals where Derek is hiding, and he quietly devises a way to use Gerard’s sickness against him.

In **2x10** (that’s _before_ Gerard threatens Scott’s mom the second time), we get this exchange:

> **Scott:** I've done everything that you've asked of me. I'm part of Derek's pack, I've given you all the information that you wanted, I told you Matt was controlling Jackson -  
>  **Gerard:** Then leave him to us. Help your friends. Leave Matt and Jackson to me. Deal with your mother. Go!

It’s followed by Scott bumping into Gerard to switch out the pills, which he had ready in his pocket. This means it was premeditated, planned from a much earlier point. Scott was never planning on letting Gerard kill Derek. (Also this means Gerard was already being poisoned when he came after Scott’s mom.)

Meanwhile, Derek overhears the fact that Scott is working for Gerard...

And then confronts him about it in **2x12** ( _after_ the second mom threatening)

> **Scott, at seeing Peter alive:** What the hell is this?  
>  **Derek:** You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the sheriff's station.  
>  **Scott:** Okay, hold on. He - he threatened to kill my mom. And I had to get close to him. What was I supposed to do?  
>  **Peter:** I'm gonna go with Scott on this one.

Let’s take a moment to register that Peter is agreeing with Scott’s underhanded tactics.

Let’s also take a step back to remember what Scott was doing before Derek walked into the locker room with Peter.

At the beginning of **2x12** , Scott is speaking with the Sheriff about Stiles being missing.

> **Sheriff:** I've got an APB out on Stiles. His jeep is still in the parking lot, so that means - the hell, I don't know what that means. Um - look, if he answers his phone, if he answers his emails, if either one of you see him -  
>  **Isaac:** We'll call you.  
>  **Scott:** Look, he's probably just freaked out from all the attention or something. We'll find him.

Scott has no reason to suspect foul play, but he’s not taking any chances. Once every human leaves the room, Scott breaks into Stiles’s locker to get his shirt and shoes.

> **Isaac:** You're gonna find him by scent?  
>  **Scott:** Yeah, we both are.  
>  **Isaac:** But how come you get his shirt and I get a shoe?

Scott had every intention to go looking for Stiles before the issue with Gerard controlling the kanima reached critical mass.

\--

## Derek biting Gerard was the only way to save Derek’s life

The s2 finale begins with establishing that Scott knew all along that Gerard was sick and working toward getting Derek to bite him.

> **Scott:** He's doing what he came here to do.  
>  **Gerard:** Then you know.  
>  **Allison:** What's he talking about?  
>  **Gerard:** It was the night outside the hospital, wasn't it, when I threatened your mother. I knew I saw something in your eyes. You could just smell it, couldn't you?  
>  **Isaac:** He's dying.  
>  **Gerard:** I am. I have been for a while now. Unfortunately, science doesn't have a cure for cancer yet. But the supernatural does.

This time Gerard is  _directly_ threatening Allison... and anyone else standing in his path.

> ***kanima closes claws over Allison’s throat*  
> ** Chris: You monster.  
>  **Gerard:** Not yet.  
>  **Allison:** What are you doing?  
>  **Chris:** You'll kill her too?  
>  **Gerard:** When it comes to survival, I'd kill my own son!

  


Gerard turns to Scott to act, and Scott’s expression goes from rage to reluctant realization. His plan, which hinged on Derek biting Gerard, can now only happen if Scott physically causes the bite.

  


Scott’s reluctance continues as he returns to human form. He knows this is the only way, but it’s still difficult. 

  


Scott grabs Derek’s neck as Gerard goes into a monologue about Scott acting out of puppy love -- _distracting from the fact that real lives are at stake_ while also striking at Derek’s own emotions, both at his self-worth and the puppy love he used to have with Paige.

> **Derek:** Scott, don't. You know that he's gonna kill me right after. He'll be an Alpha.

Derek isn't saying “Scott don’t” because he doesn't want to physically bite Gerard, he’s saying it because he doesn’t want to _die_. Derek doesn’t know about the pill swap yet, so he’s absolutely certain that after the bite Gerard will be unstoppable.

Except, if Scott doesn’t force Derek to give the bite, Gerard would just use the kanima to force the bite anyway, likely killing Derek and Allison in the process. This is a lose-lose situation, and Scott’s trying to go for the path with least destruction.

Scott apologizes to Derek as he’s forced to do the only thing that could stop Gerard from murdering everyone in that room... including Derek.

Derek must understand Scott’s difficult decision in hindsight, which is why there’s no grudge. Both he and Scott were put into a compromising position by Gerard -- the actual villain of the story.


	18. Scott's ability to apologize without words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I'll be the first to admit I'd have preferred for the 5A resolution to involve a thorough talk between Scott and Stiles that included apologies on both sides, but the writers of Teen Wolf don't believe that teenagers can apologize or some shit so we're stuck with implicit apologies)
> 
> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/183912944979/scott-appreciation-week-2019-day-3-open-wounds)


	19. Scott Doesn't Hurt Isaac The Way Fandom Makes It Seem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their surrogate sacrifice, Scott, Stiles, and Allison start losing their minds in Anchors (3x13). And Scott’s ability to control his inner beast is tested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [{Read/Reblog on Tumblr}](https://fanfictionfridge.tumblr.com/post/186641851117/after-their-surrogate-sacrifice-scott-stiles)


End file.
